1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a health care monitoring device, and in particular to a monitor which is used in association with a wheelchair and indicates the amount of time a person has been seated in the wheelchair.
People whom are substantially confined to a bed or wheelchair experience an increased risk of contracting a plurality of harmful ailments. Such ailments are caused in part from placing a person's body in the same position in a bed or wheelchair for prolonged periods of time so that blood flow is at least partially restricted to major body parts, or a person's entire body weight is otherwise applied to small areas the person's body.
For example, decubitus ulcers (the degeneration of skin tissue) may be caused by restricted blood and/or oxygen to portions of the body. Treatment of decubitus ulcers include, among other procedures, skin grafts. Advanced stages of decubitus ulcers additionally expose the patient to other infections, such as mild bacterial and viral strain, as well as to potentially life-threatening strains such as staph infections. Decubitus ulcers and other related conditions pose a heightened danger to the elderly due to substantial muscle loss from the aging process.
The above-mentioned physical conditions are known to lead to potentially harmful and permanent psychological conditions or disorders as well, ranging from experiencing low self-esteem to chronic depression.
Accordingly, preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of the above-mentioned conditions include periodic medical treatments, including repositioning patients whom are confined to a wheelchair or a bed every two hours, and applying topical lotions on a regular, periodic basis. However, these preventive measures are only effective if followed on a periodic and substantially continual basis.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
There are known timing devices for administering the taking of medicine. For example, Wirtschafter U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,303, Mcintosh U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,056, and Tate U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,999 disclose a timers which monitor and/or record the receiving of medicine.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,242, 4,506,903 and 4,553,770 disclose devices which attach to wheelchairs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,345,541, 4,419,016 and 4,677,861 disclose a variety of settable medical timers.
The above-mentioned references, however, fail to disclose or otherwise suggest a monitor which attaches to a wheelchair, indicates the amount of time a person has been seated therein, and/or includes a safety mechanism to prevent premature or otherwise inappropriate resetting of the monitor.